The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-09-16
a M IN CAMP.

as q sailor to digging as Il MINOR, and
fighting the Indians as II scout, and
yet the closest escape | ever had from
death was with my eyes wide or
and through my own stupidity. ]
ly in the seventies I was down in the
Indian Territory buying horses for
shipment East. | had a partner,
and We Travelled with our own team
in a covered wagon. That territory
isn't any too peaceful now, but in'72-
you not Only wanted a trusty rifle
with you, but you wanted the knack
OF dropping your man first. Travelling
from ranch to ranch as we did, with
everybody knowing that we had mon
ey to buy horses with, our situation
was OneTequiring constant vigilance.
There was never q night that both Of
US slept at once, and never aday that
we were o on the watch for some
plan no get the better of rs. In one
trip OF three months we had five diff.
ferent watch dogs poisoned, and finally
gave up trying to keep one. You
might imagine that it would have been
worth while for some Of the predatory
bands roaming the country to make
an attack on us, but the fellows rea-
soned differently. A couple of men,
armed with WinChesters and re%VOlvers,
and determined to defend their own
at any cost, are antagonists not to
be despised. Your western outlaw,
with very few exceptions, is just as
careful about getting a bullet into his
body as anyone else.
One day in July, while we were on
the north fork Of the Canadian river,
and about 20 miles below Shawnee
town, one G. the horses in our team
was bitten by q rattlesnake. | was
driving, and | saw the snake as it
lifted itself from the grass and bit the
horse twice on the leg. 1t was n hot
day, the horses well heated up,
and the poison took effect very soon.
We had no remedy for it, but were
compelled to stand by and see the
animal suffer and die. 1t wasn't
quite an hour after ne was struck be.
fore he was deAd. In buying horses
We stipulated for delivery at certain
points, and thus had no spare ones
with us. To make our team whole
one OF us must take the other horse
and ride Oft and make a purchase. |
had been oven the route before, and l
knew that the nearest ranch was II
miles up the river. 1t was nov a
O'Clock IN the afternoon, and we are
within half a mile of the stream
and in a wild and lonely district of
country. We had with us in a tin
box in the wagon over 81, 900 in gold;
and the misfortune to our horse nat
urally Increased our anxieties. My
partner insisted that / should be the
one to remain with the wagon, and he
had no sooner moved away than | be-
gan to make things secure. The very
first thing vas to take the tin
box from the wagon and bury
in the ground under the vehi-
Gle, and after that / staked out the
horse, saw that every fierarm was in
good order, and beat around the camp
to drive away any reptiles lurking
about.
There was no $ in expecting Pat
ton, my partner, back before s o'clock
or latter. He would doubtless find o
suitable horse at the first ranch, but the
ranchman might beaway, or there were
. dozen other reasons to call for de-
We carried provisions with us,
and at about 6 o'clock 4 built a fire
and prepared my supper, and was
to begin eating when / caught
sight ola horseaand rider approaching
camp from the northwest. The
was open for three or four
miles, and as Ihad a glass with me |
made out, while the horse was yet a
and O nall away, that he bore q |
woman on his back. Had she been B.
squaw the sight would not have occas-
Toned surprise, bus the first look prov
on that she was white and that5har
horse was iaded and coming slowly.
AS held q glass on her I saw her turn
and look back, as one pursue d, and
long before she reached me / had be-
come grately interested in her case.
she rode straight for the wagon,
and when she finally came up
her horse was very much
and the womanss face
seemed to betray both hope and fear
by turns. She was an av~erage-look-
Ing female, about forty years old, and
a. she drew rein besidem ne wi surveyed
each other for half a minute before
spoke. During that interval I
caught an expression on her face
which / did not at all like. 1t was q
sly, sinister look, bnt it passed swift
" away, and was replaced BY one OF
anxiety. was the first t spaak, say
ing.
wen, are you IN troubled"
"ln great trouble, sir," she replied.
81 have been living with my brcthes
on Q small ranch about Is miles dis
tant. Two hours ago q dozen drunk
EN- Kickapoo Indians visited the place
wounded my brother. and set fire to
the house, and would have assaulted
ne had Inot fed on this horse. They
pursued nae for several miles, ana l.
HHErg i